This year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic; more than 1,500 people of the 2,228 on board perished when the ill-fated luxury liner hit an iceberg in the north Atlantic and sank.

Although the ship was billed as unsinkable, Titanic slipped beneath the surface at 2:20 am on 15 April 1912, and one century later, towns and cities on both sides of the Atlantic are honouring the disaster with events over the next few weeks.

Belfast, Northern Ireland
Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, so it is not surprising
that the city is hosting one of the largest centennial events.

The Titanic Belfast Festival runs from 31 March to 22 April and
includes plays, tours, talks and musical performances at various locations
around the city. The highlight will be the 31 March opening of the Titanic Belfast, a massive,
permanent museum housed in a stunning
six-floor building shaped like the bow of the mighty ship, and built on the slipways where RMS Titanic was built. Here visitors can explore the Titanic story through
special effects, rides, full-scale reconstructions and interactive features.

On 14 April,
the Titanic Centenary Commemoration,
another major event in the festival, will be held on the Belfast waterfront
where Titanic first set sail for Southampton before starting her maiden voyage.
The show tells the story of the Titanic through music and visual effects.

Also on 14 April,
at 9 pm, is a requiem for the lost souls of the Titanic at St Anne's Cathedral. Following the
requiem at 10:30 pm there will be a procession to Belfast City Hall.

On 15 April,
the 100th Anniversary Titanic Commemoration Service will take place at Belfast
City Hall. At 11 am a mass will be held at St Peter's Cathedral.

Southampton, England
The RMS Titanic left on her maiden voyage from Southampton on 10 April 1912.

From 11 to 15
April, Titanic – the Southampton Story
tells the tale from the perspective of the local crew, families and people of
Southampton, using period buildings as backdrops. The audience will meet at
Holyrood Church and then travel to see the play performed at several nearby
locations.

On 15
April, a commemorative service will take place at St Mary's Church (135 Saint Mary Street; 023 8033 0851), including music by the City of Southampton
Orchestra.

Liverpool, England
The White Star Line, the owners of Titanic, registered the vessel in Liverpool
and the city's name was on the stern of the ship.

There will
be a commemoration service on 15 April
at Liverpool Cathedral. The service will include a historical soundscape that
will illustrate different parts of the Titanic story.

Halifax, Nova ScotiaHalifax was the closest major port
to the disaster, and the city has a strong bond with Titanic, not
least because 150 victims are buried in three of its cemeteries.

On 14
April, a candle-lit procession will wind its way from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to
Halifax City Hall on Grand Parade where performances and presentations will
continue until a moment of silence at 12:20 am, the moment when Titanic began
to sink and the order was given to load the lifeboats.

Later in
the day on the 15April, there will be a memorial service at
Halifax's Fairview Lawn Cemetery where 121
Titanic victims are buried